Ant Species Identification Links

The ‘regional ant species‘ section can be a useful resource to help you identify ants species from the area that they were found.

Forums and can also be very useful for identifying specific ant species. As long as you have a good digital image, there are many helpful people on them that would love to help.

Here are a few alternative solutions:

AntWeb

If you think you know the scientific name of your specimen this site can be useful to check to see if it matches. GO.
Flickr
This is a very popular social photo sharing site. There is an ant group where people share and talk about their ant photos. GO.

Bug Guide
If you have an image of an ant or other insect that you would like identified, you may add it to this website to get feedback. You must be registered and logged in to participate. GO.
Myrmecos
This web site has a collection of breath taking ant photos shot by Alex Wild. They are categorized in a way that may help you find out your own ant species. GO.

Discover LifeThis web site has a section where one can tick boxes according to the specimen collected. It then searches through its database GO.

Bolton’s Catalogue of Ants of the World
Barry Bolton catalogues nearly 11,500 ant species in 23 subfamilies, with an additional 600 extinct species. This CD-ROM database is very easy to use due to its search features including: current species name, the original combination, higher taxonomic categories, validity, author, year, IUCN Red List status, and locality by country. GO. Amazon link.

Natural History Museum
This web site offers world wide species identification services for all insects. There is a free option to upload an image of the insect to a forum and to let people help choose the species, or a detailed identification where you have to send in your specimen this has to be paid for. Free link. Paid link.

Glossary

All words found in bold throughout antARK can found in this glossary.

Aletes –

winged reproductive ants.

Asexual –

the ability to reproduce without a sexual partner, off spring will be clones of parents.

Antenna –

used to smell, touch, feel and communicate with other ants. Attached to the front of the head, they can move in-front and behind the ant.

Aspirator –

see ‘Pooter’

Arthropods –

a group of invertebrate animals that includes insects, spiders, crustaceans and their relatives.

Biomass –

a mass of organisms.

Bivouac –

a nest made of entirely of ants, primarily found in the Army ant species.

Brood –

the first born, consisting of eggs, larvae, pupae and ants.

Carnivore –

a meat eating diet, carnivorous ants mostly eat other invertebrates.

Callows –

young immature adult ants, typically paler in colour.

Caste –

the different types of ant in a colony. i.e. queens, drones, soldiers, workers and all in-between.

Colony –

A group of ants, which cooperatively construct nests or rears brood.

Compound eyes –

ants have many small eyes placed next to each other. This enables them to see close movement.

Crop –

holds the ants social food it will share with the colony.

Diurnal –

active during the day time.

Drone –

a reproductive male ant.

Dufour’s gland –

is believed to be involved with the laying of chemicals that guide other ants and perhaps the attraction of mates.

Eclose –

when the ant brood changes through stages of the life cycle.

Entomology –

the study of insects.

Exoskeleton –

An external skeleton, providing rigidity and support for the ant.

Forage –

when a worker ant leaves its nest to find food.

Formicaria –

plural of ‘formicarium’.

Formicarium –

an artificial container designed to house a colony of ants.

Gamergates –

rare female worker ants which can mate and reproduce, keeping the colony alive after the queen dies.

Gastor –

part of the abdomen. It contains vital organs, it is has a telescoping construction of seven segments that gives this large area flexibility.

Genes –

information passed down through generations that determine characteristics of offspring.

Genus –

a grouping of organisms that have common characteristics distinct from those of other such groupings. i.e Lasius sp.

Genera –

plural of genus.

Granaries –

a storage areas where ‘harvester ants’ store their collected seeds.

Granivory –

the process by which harvester ants grind and eat seeds.

Herbivore –

a plant eating diet, see leaf cutter ants.

Homopterans –

plant bugs such as aphids, scale insects and mealy bugs.

Honey dew –

a sweet nutritious sugary substance produced by homopterans eaten by ants.

Hymenoptera –

the Order in which ants occur, the Order also includes bees, wasps and sawflies.

Invertebrate –

an animal without a backbone.

Major worker –

the larger worker ants found in a colonies caste, also known as soldier ants.

Mandibles –

the ants main jaws, these are used for cutting, holding, fighting, and digging. There are smaller mouthparts for chewing food.

Median workers –

worker ants found in polymorphic species that are sized between minor and major workers.

Monodomous –

when a single colony lives in and maintains a single nest.

Monogyn –

Ant species that have one active queen per colony.

Metamorphosis –

the transformation from an immature form to an adult form.

Minor worker –

the smaller worker ants found in a colonies caste.

Minims –

first born ants that tend to be smaller than typical established colony workers. See also ‘nantics’.

Myrmecochory –

a term used to describe seed dispersal by ants.

Myrmecology –

the study of ants.

Myrmecophile –

an invertebrate or plant that has a symbiotic relationship with the ants.

Nantics –

first born ants that tend to be smaller than typical established colony workers. See also ‘minims’.

Nectar –

a sweet nutritious sugary substance produced by homopterans eaten by ants.

Nocturnal –

active at night time.

Nuptial flight –

normally during late spring and summer seasons, the alates take to the skies to mate.